Heating system



I INVENTOR 0, V BY 332M 1 J ATTORNEV HEATING SYSTEM Filed Sept. 9, 1931 Patented Au. 30, 1932 ED STATES MORTIMER LELAND, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK HIElA'IING'v SYSTEM Application filed September 9, 1931.

This invention relates to one-pipe steamheating systems and has for its object improvement in the functioning of these systems for increasing the comfort derived therefrom, for reducing fuel consumption, and decreasing the necessar amount of attention.

This invention may e applied to existing and future installations, and requires no alteration of the heat generator, the piping or the radiators. It may be applied to systems using either steam or hot-water type radiators.

A feature of this invention is that at low pressures, any heat generated will be dis 5 tributed practicall uniformally throughout the system, instead of being concentrated in a few favored radiators, and hence it will not be necessary to raise substantial pressure to heat less favored rooms, while overheating more favored ones.

Another feature of this invention is that with a fairly sensitive automatic regulator, it will be possible to maintain some heat in every radiator for as long as the fuel holds out, without the necessity of any or all the radiators being filled with steam.

Another feature of this invention is that we may, at will, have some of the radiators partially heated, and others fully heated, without affecting the working of the system.

Another feature of this invention is that we may choose certain radiators anywhere in the system and so arrange the system that these radiators will heat through, under normal conditions before the remaining radiators.

Another feature of the system is that because of the devices used, it will operate below atmospheric pressure thus retaining heat throughout the system with a low fire.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 illustrates my apparatus applied to a water type of radiator such as now in common usage for steam-heating systems;

Fig. 2 illustrates my apparatus applied to Serial No. 561,963.

a steam type of radiator such as was generally installed until recently;

F 1g. 3 is a view of a loaded valve mostly in vertical section; and

Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 3, showing a free venting valve.

Referring to Fig. 1, a water type radiator 1, is installed with the usual piping connection 2, and control valve 3, which must be either wide open or shut tight.

The coils la of a radiator 1 are connected adjacent their upper and lower ends by tubes 1?) and 10 respectively. Near the top of the supply end of the radiator, in place of the plug usually supplied, is a reducing bushing 4, and air valve 5, which in construction is the same as an ordinary air or vacuum valve, but is so charged with a volatile fluid that instead of closing and remaining closed at all temperatures above approximately 200 degrees F., it closes and remains closed at all temperatures above approximately 160 degrees F. so that it will maintain a seal under considerable sub-atmospheric pressure even if heated by a mixture of vapor and heated air. The valve 5 is shown in detail in Fig. 4 and comprises a casin 5a containing a float 5b which is partly lled with a volatile liquid. The float carries at its upper end a closure member 50 adapted to close an opening 503 when the concentrically corrugated bottom 56 of the float expands due to the pressure of the vapor resulting from heating the mentioned volatile liquid. The position of the concentrically corrugated bottom 56 when expanded is shown in Fig. 3. The upper end of the casing 5a is externally threaded to engage an internally threaded cap 5 which has an aperature 5 in the top thereof. 85

In the .other end of the radiator, in the tapping supplied on all hot-water type radi ators, about of the height from the top, is another air valve 6, which is constructed like other air or vacuum valves and closes 90 and remains closedat tem eratures above approximately 200 degrees and which, in addition, has a means for loading the air outlet of the valve either by weights or spring, so that a substantial predetermined pressure, say 6 01'8 ounces per square inch, will be necessary to force air through it; and.

which also has in addition a means of sealing the outlet so that air cannot pass through in either direction. 'An example of a loaded valve is shown in Fig. 3, this valve, which is designated by the numeral 6 is similar in construction to the valve shown in Fig. 4 except that this valve is provided with a weight 6h adapted to close the aperture 6d from above, the aperture 6d corresponding to the aperture 501 in the valve 5. The cap 6g, which is screw-threaded to the casing 611, is provided with a venting aperture 6k above the weight 6k and is further provided with a vertical screw 6n passing through the top thereof and adapted to be adjusted so that its lower end 6;) abuts against the weight 6h to hold the latter on its seat 61- or to be disposed above the mentioned weight so that the latter may be lifted by steam pressure from its seat.

Experiment has shown that if steam at very low pressure is introduced into a radiator so equipped, it will first displace the air at the bottom of the radiator, and then rise and displace the air in the first section of the radiator, closing the air valve 5. The steam will then float along the top of the radiator and part of the way down the sections and the radiator will then give oflf approximately half as much heat as it would, were it completely emptied of air. If the pressure be reduced to below atmospheric, the radiator will maintain a vacuum with either air or vacuum type valves, because of the comparatively low sealing temperature of valve*5 and because of the loading of valve-6. It the pressure be increased to more than 6 or 8 ounces per square inch, depending on the loading of valve 6, the radiator will be completely vented and heated through, provided, however, that the additional seal on the outlet of this valve 6 is not shut. If this be shut, the radiator of course, will not heat to more than a proximately half its capacity, regardless o the pressure.

If we have a system, comprising a steam generator, piping and several radiators, equipped as above, because of the manner in which the air valves 5 and 6 0 erate, a pressure less than sufficient to orce air through any of the air valves 6, will normally distribute steam throughout all the radiators of the system in suflicient quantity to heat each of them to approximately half their capacity.

As the steam condensed ineach radiator will be about half the condensing capacity of the radiator, the drop in pressure in the mains Because of the reduced condensation.

through the system, it will require less fire 7 to maintain a given pressure when all the v radiators are not heated through and, with a sensitive automatic regulator, it will be possible to maintain some heat in every radiator without any radiator being fully heated.

If it be desired, at times, that one or more of the radiators of the system, shall, under all conditions of pressure, be heated to not more than approximately half capacity, this result can be obtained by closing the sealing device of air valve 6, preventing complete venting at any pressure.

If it be desired that certain radiators be heated to their full capacities before other radiators, this result can be obtained by fitting them each with an air valve 6 which vents air at a few ounces lower pressure than do the air valves 6 on the other radiators. ture should prove to be of considerable benefit to thermostatically controlled system, especially oil burner systems, as it Will insure, under normal conditions, that rooms not con taining a thermostat, will receive their share of the heat before shutting oif of the burner, by the thermostat, stops the supply of steam.

Referring to Figure 2, a steam type radiator 7 is installed with the usual piping connections 2, and control valve 3, which must be either wide open or shut tight. The radiator 7 has its coils 7 a connected adjacent their lower ends by means of tubes 7b. Near the bottom of the radiator, opposite the control. valve 3, in place of the plug usually supplied, is a reducing double tapped bushing 8, with an air valve 5, already described, and a short piece of pipe 9, connected to the valve 5 extending approximately half way into the radiator through several of the coils 7a and connecting tubes 76. On the same end of the radiator in the tapping supplied about the height of the radiator from the top, is another air valve 6, already described.

Experiment has shown, that if steam, at very low pressure be introduced into a radiator so equipped, it will displace the air in the first few sections of the radiator, the number of sections vented depending on the length of the pipe 9, and then reaching the p1pe 9 W111 travel through it, closing air valve 5. The sections heated will remain heated as long as steam is supplied, and the unvented sections will remain cold. From here on the above description of the operation and results of the system containing water type radiators will also apply to the system containing steam type radiators.

What I claim as new:

1. In a combination, a steam-heat radiator of the character described, and a free-venting valve and a loaded valve connected thereto.

This fea- 2. In a combination a steam-heat radiator of the character described, and a free-venting valve and a loaded valve connected thereto at the end thereof.

' 3. In a combination, a steam-heat radiator of the character described, and a free-venting valve and a loaded valve connected thereto, said valves being respectively positioned at the ends of the radiator.

no 4. In combination, a steam-radiator comprising a plurality of coils, tubes connecting said coils, an inner tube Within certain of the first-mentioned tubes and coils, a free-venting valve connected to said inner tube and a m loaded valve connected to said radiator.

5. The combination claimed in claim 3 in which the free venting valve is connected to the supply end of the radiator and the loaded valve is connected to the distal end of the radiator.

6. The combination claimed in claim 4 in which the loaded valve and the free venting valve are connected to the end of the radiator remote from the supply end.

In testimony whereof I hereby aflix my signature.

MORTIMER LIFLAND. 

